Wednesday 5/11/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Wednesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Belmont Park (3rd) Anydayismyday, 5-1
(7th) Captain Moss, 8-1

Evangeline Downs (3rd) Double Barrel Man, 9-2
(5th) Bam Bam's Pride, 7-2


Finger Lakes (2nd) Southbeachsandy, 5-1
(5th) For Good Reason, 7-2


Gulfstream Park (6th) Vroomvroomvroom, 4-1
(7th) Menehune, 7-2


Indiana Grand (6th) Big Joe Candy, 7-2
(7th) Pinetree Pro, 7-2


Louisiana Downs (1st) Crowned Style, 5-1
(5th) Night Spree, 7-2


Mountaineer (4th) Hollywood Hallie, 6-1
(9th) Cape Finisterre, 3-1


Thistledown (7th) Champions Gate, 6-1
(8th) Free Flying, 7-2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Wednesday's games

Miami-Toronto (2-2)
Four series games decided by total of 21 points; three went to OT, road team won twice. Miami lost six of last nine games with Toronto, four of last five in Canada. Home side won nine of last 13 series games overall. Eight of last nine Miami games stayed under total, as have 10 of last 12 Raptor games. Lowry had 33 in Game 3 but is 12-46 in the other three games. Raptors are -44 with Valanciunas on bench. and he is not coming back in this series. Miami won Game 4 despite going 1-15 on the arc.

Portland-Golden State (GS 3-1)
Golden State nine of last 11 vs Portland, and covered 11 of last 14; with Curry putting on show (40 points) in Game 4, Blazers seem dead, with 0-5 SU/ATS record in last five visits to Oakland. Three of four in series went over total. Golden State won ten of its last 13 games, covered nine of last 11. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Lillard was just 4-12 on his 2-pointers in Game 4; Blazers had double digit lead Curry came off bench and played Superman. Warriors covered their last six home tilts.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 10-7, over: 8-9

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (13-20) at Cubs (25-6)

Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 11, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

The last thing the rest of the NL Central wants to hear is that the Chicago Cubs have a chance to win two games in one day.

The Cubs get that opportunity with Wednesday's day-night doubleheader, looking to extend their eight-game winning streak as they face the visiting San Diego Padres.

This three-game series was pushed back because of Monday's rainout, and Chicago (25-6) won Tuesday's opener 8-7 - matching the 1907 team for the best start in franchise history. Ben Zobrist went 4 for 4 with two RBIs as the Cubs also posted the best start since Detroit opened 26-5 in 1984.

Chicago can build on a huge division lead and its longest winning streak since closing 2015 with eight in a row before winning its wild-card game over Pittsburgh.

The Cubs will go for their fourth straight win in this series while trying to add to baseball's best run differential that sits at plus-103. The Cubs are 12-3 at Wrigley Field, while San Diego (13-20) is 5-9 away from home.

Wednesday's Game 1 starter Kyle Hendricks seeks his second home win as he comes in with a 2.62 ERA - best in the majors among starters.

Jon Lester threw the Cubs' 22nd quality start Tuesday.

"I don't look at the actual numbers, but I know what guys are doing," Hendricks told MLB's official website. "We just keep pushing each other. It's every next guy - they've got to pass the baton and keep it going. No losing streaks. It's just each guy pushing each other."

Hendricks (2-2, 3.10 ERA) has been solid his last two starts, allowing one run and four hits in 11 innings of Cubs victories over Milwaukee and Washington. The right-hander shut the Nationals out over six innings of Thursday's 5-2 victory.

He has been dominant in three career starts against the Padres, giving up two runs in 22 innings while walking three and striking out 20.

Current San Diego batters have hit a combined .118 against Hendricks in 51 at-bats with the only extra-base being Matt Kemp's two-run homer.

The Padres haven't done a ton of hitting this season, getting shut out eight times while averaging 3.73 runs. Colin Rea has actually enjoyed strong run support, however, getting 5.7 in his six starts.

Rea (3-1, 3.82) is coming off the best start of his two-year career, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning of Thursday's 5-3 win over the New York Mets. The right-hander gave up a run and three hits in eight innings while walking one and striking out five.

San Diego is the only team never to throw a no-hitter.

"It was definitely in my head," Rea told MLB's official website. "I knew. You know the situation that's going on. It was fun out there."

Chicago's John Lackey and San Diego's Drew Pomeranz will match up in the nightcap.

Lackey (4-1, 4.02) is 1-2 with a 4.44 ERA in four career starts against the Padres, while Pomeranz (3-3, 2.12) is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two matchups with the Cubs.

San Diego shortstop Alexei Ramirez left Tuesday's game with cramping in his left hamstring. His status for Wednesday is unclear.

The Padres entered the series with nine players on the disabled list, including four infielders.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (19-12) at Twins (8-24)

Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: May 11, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

The Baltimore Orioles were swept in the season series by the Minnesota Twins last year. They've given themselves an opportunity for the best kind of revenge.

The Orioles look to remain perfect against the Twins on Wednesday in the finale of a rain-shortened two-game series.

There were a multitude of reasons for Baltimore's disappointing 81-81 record last season, but seven losses in seven games versus Minnesota surely didn't help.

The Orioles opened this season with a three-game sweep of the Twins and made it four wins in four tries with a 5-3 victory Tuesday after Monday's scheduled opener was postponed. Slumping Adam Jones hit a 443-foot homer and delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the ninth inning to help Baltimore (19-12) end a five-game losing streak at Target Field.

"That's a lot of frustration out in one swing,' manager Buck Showalter said of Jones' first homer since April 16. 'That was a lot of pent up, I can tell you that.'

Jones was in a 3-for-26 skid over the last seven games and had seen his average fall to .196.

'As long as we keep winning, it doesn't really matter how it goes as long as the team wins,' Jones said. 'That's the main objective, the main goal. I'm a team guy, I'm not an I, I, I person. I'm just for the team.'

Manny Machado and Jones hit back-to-back homers in the fifth, giving the Orioles nine in the past three games. Machado went 3 for 3 with two walks to raise his average to .365.

He's 8 for 15 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last four contests, and could be poised for another big day against Phil Hughes. Machado is 10 for 19 with two homers against the struggling right-hander.

Tuesday could also mark breakouts for two other slumping Orioles hitters. Chris Davis had three hits following a 1-for-21 stretch, and Matt Wieters was 2 for 4 after entering 5 for 35 in his previous 10 games.

Trevor Plouffe had a two-run homer and three RBIs for the AL-worst Twins (8-24), losers of six straight and 10 of 11. They've been outscored 47-18 during the six-game skid with their starters posting an 8.28 ERA.

Hughes (1-5, 5.85 ERA) has played a role in that, allowing six runs over two innings in a 16-4 loss at Houston last Wednesday in his shortest start since 2013.

'It's just one of those days where I wasn't locating at all and a bunch of bad counts,' Hughes said.

He has a 7.71 ERA during a three-start skid and has given up three first-inning runs in two consecutive outings.

Hughes was solid in a 4-2 loss at Baltimore on April 7, yielding three runs over six innings in a 4-2 loss. He's 2-1 with a 2.36 ERA in four starts against the Orioles as a member of the Twins.

Tyler Wilson (1-1, 3.04) attempts to build on the best of his three 2016 starts, Wednesday's six-inning stint against the New York Yankees in which he allowed two earned runs and four hits in a 7-0 loss.

The right-hander was originally scheduled to pitch Monday but had his start pushed back following the postponement.

Wilson threw three scoreless innings against the Twins on April 4 after entering the game in the third following a lengthy rain delay.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (23-11) at Rangers (19-15)

Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: May 11, 2016 2:05 PM EDT

Cole Hamels bounced back from his roughest start of 2016 by recording his best of the young season for the Texas Rangers.

After a stellar beginning to his tenure with the Chicago White Sox, Mat Latos has come back down to earth.

Looking to match the club record with a 12th consecutive winning decision, Hamels tries to help the Rangers take this three-game series from the visiting Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Texas' run of 14 straight wins with Hamels (4-0, 2.68 ERA) on the mound ended May 1 when he allowed four runs, seven hits and walked four in five innings of a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Five days later, the left-hander looked dominant while yielding one hit and striking out nine over seven innings of a 5-1 victory at Detroit. Hamels also helped snap the Rangers' three-game slide.

'This is why we have him. This is why he's part of this ballclub,' manager Jeff Banister said. 'He's our ace. He's the guy that we look to be that stopper as a starter.'

Hamels is 11-0 with a 3.03 ERA in 16 starts since his last losing decision Aug. 7 at Seattle. Bobby Witt went a franchise-best 12-0 over 14 starts in 1990.

"He feels good now," Banister told MLB's official website. "Being able to hold it all together and feel good about his release point in his delivery was a huge key for him."

Hamels has faced the White Sox (23-11) twice but not since 2013.

Chicago is 6-0 in starts by Latos (5-0, 2.62), who allowed a first-inning homer to Nomar Mazara on April 24 when he lasted six innings of a 4-1 victory over Texas to improve to 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in day games. That was one of two runs over 24 1/3 innings the right-hander gave up in his first four starts.

He's allowed four runs over five innings in each of his last two, with 18 hits total over that span. Thankfully for Latos, his teammates have scored 18 runs in those contests, but he's yet to complete more than 6 1/3 innings in any outing.

"I really want to go more," he said. "Someday, sometime, I'll find the seventh inning."

While Latos hopes to increase his stamina, he'll try to help Chicago rebound after blowing a five-run, eighth-inning lead in Tuesday's 13-11 defeat.

One of three Rangers (19-15) with three hits, Ryan Rua clubbed a go-ahead three-run homer to highlight a seven-run eighth inning. Ian Desmond and Bryan Holaday each had three RBIs as Texas recorded its first victory in five tries against the White Sox this season.

'Incredible,' Banister said. 'We've talked about the sheer will and heart and resilience. These guys believe.'

Rua had four RBIs - two more than his total through his first 14 contests.

Desmond is 12 for 29 with two homers and nine RBIs in his last seven home games, and 8 for 18 with two home runs and five RBIs against the White Sox this season. He went 2 for 3 off Latos last month.

Chicago's Todd Frazier is 5 for 9 with nine RBIs in the series, and has driven in 12 runs over the last four. He is a .250 hitter against Hamels.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (16-14) at Astros (13-21)

Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 11, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

The Cleveland Indians are still stuck in an offensive lull, but performances like Trevor Bauer's Tuesday allow them to compete regardless.

Another dominant start could be on tap Wednesday with Danny Salazar on the mound for the series finale with the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Cleveland (16-14) won 4-0 Tuesday behind seven strong innings by Trevor Bauer, with Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen completing the shutout in the team's 17th victory in 22 meetings.

The Indians are batting .200 over their last four contests, though Salazar (3-2, 1.91 ERA) may not need much help. He's been one of baseball's most dominant pitchers and comes off his perhaps his most impressive outing of the season, matching a season high with nine strikeouts over 7 2-3 shutout innings in a 7-1 win against Kansas City on Friday.

Salazar's 2.58 ERA ranks fourth among all pitchers with at least 20 starts dating back to July 10, trailing only Jake Arrieta, Clayton Kershaw, and Jose Quintana. This season, opponents are putting the ball in play on only 29.2 percent of swings against Salazar, the second-lowest number in the majors behind Jose Fernandez.

"The more you go out there and play, the more experience you get, the more you grow as a player," Salazar told MLB's official website.

The right-hander limited Houston to two earned runs with 16 strikeouts over 13 1-3 innings spanning two 2014 matchups.

Houston (13-21) had scored 45 runs while winning five of seven prior to going 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday's loss. The Astros' batting average in those situations fell to .167 in defeats compared to .305 in wins.

They'll counter Salazar with Doug Fister (3-3, 4.54), who has strung together four consecutive quality starts since surrendering six runs in a 6-2 loss to Kansas City on April 14. He didn't allow a home run in either of his last two outings after yielding five in his first four games.

Fister was 5-3 in 14 meetings with Cleveland from 2009-13 while with Seattle and Detroit, including a 5-1 mark and 2.37 ERA in the last nine.

The Indians are hoping Tuesday's performance by Jason Kipnis helps him continue to get on track. Kipnis, who entered the evening with a .693 OPS, had two hits including a triple during his third multi-hit performance in eight games.

Cleveland likely won't see the return of Michael Brantley to its lineup until Friday against Minnesota. Brantley, who is hitting .231 with seven RBIs in 11 games after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, got Tuesday off and will likely sit out Wednesday as well.

"We might have gone a little too far, too much, too fast," manager Terry Francona said. "I didn't want to do that, but we probably did."

Meanwhile, Houston was without catcher Jason Castro after he went on the paternity list for the birth of his first child. Erik Kratz was 0 for 2 while starting behind the plate Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (17-18) at Rockies (15-18)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 11, 2016 3:10 PM EDT

After struggling to build on a breakthrough 2013 in the past two seasons, Jean Segura made a minor adjustment to his batting stance in the offseason.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been reaping the benefits over the first five weeks.

Segura will try to stay hot Wednesday when the Diamondbacks chase a season-high sixth straight win and try to deal the Colorado Rockies an eighth consecutive home defeat.

The 26-year-old infielder hit a career-high .294 with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs for Milwaukee in 2013, but batted .252 with 11 homers over the next two seasons.

Segura, acquired in a five-player trade from the Brewers on Jan. 30, showed up to spring training in Arizona with his hands lower in his stance. He went 11 for 22 in his first five regular-season games and is on a roll again for the Diamondbacks (17-18).

Segura is 12 for 29 while hitting safely in all seven games on this nine-game trip. He had an RBI single in Arizona's four-run sixth inning that led to Tuesday's 5-1 road win and is batting .387 with two home runs in seven meetings with the Rockies (15-18).

Yasmany Tomas also had three hits, Brandon Drury and Chris Owings finished with two and Paul Goldschmidt hit his seventh home run. The Diamondbacks have hit .296 while averaging 6.2 runs during their second five-game winning streak of 2016.

Colorado starters have posted a 9.09 ERA during a home losing streak that's the club's longest since July 17-Aug. 1, 2012. Chad Bettis (3-2, 4.40 ERA) allowed five runs over six innings Friday when he failed on protect a four-run lead while opposing Madison Bumgarner in a 6-4 loss at San Francisco.

Bettis has a 6.66 ERA in seven career games versus Arizona, but pitched well Sunday when he allowed three runs over six innings in a 6-3 win at Chase Field.

Drury, Goldschmidt and Segura have homered off the right-hander this season. David Peralta has gone 6 for 11 with a double lifetime in the matchup, though he might have to miss his fourth consecutive contest because of a bruised right forearm.

After allowing a combined 10 runs and 15 hits over seven innings in consecutive starts, Robbie Ray (1-2, 4.70) allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings in Thursday's 4-0 loss at Miami. The left-hander did not receive any run support for the second straight outing.

"He was able to throw his breaking balls for strikes, his changeup was good and fastball was electric," manager Chip Hale told the league's official website.

Ray, who was 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his first three starts, went 1-0 with a 2.04 mark in three meetings with the Rockies last season before allowing five runs over four innings in a 9-0 loss April 29. Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story and Ryan Raburn homered off him in that contest, while Charlie Blackmon is 7 for 11 lifetime versus Ray.

Carlos Gonzalez had his nine-game hitting streak versus Arizona snapped Tuesday when the Rockies managed a season-low four hits. Story had been batting .303 with five homers, three doubles and 15 RBIs in the season series before going 0 for 4.

"It's concerning," manager Walt Weiss said of his team's problems at Coors Field. "Usually this is where we play real well, historically. So it's strange."

Colorado last dropped all three games of a home series to Arizona in June 2014.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (15-16) at Mariners (20-13)

Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: May 11, 2016 3:40 PM EDT

Chris Archer seems to have found his form following a rough beginning to his season with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Taijuan Walker feels he's healthy enough to take the ball after his strong start to 2016 was halted by an injury-shortened outing for the Seattle Mariners.

The two talented right-handers square off Wednesday as the Mariners look to complete their first home sweep of the Rays in 10 years.

Archer (2-4, 4.23 ERA) gave up 16 earned runs and walked 11 over 19 2/3 innings while losing his first four starts. In three since, he's allowed two earned and 11 hits with six walks over 18 2/3 innings.

"I think it speaks volumes how talented the guy is," Rays manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website after Archer threw six scoreless in Friday's 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels. "I still don't think he was as sharp as he was capable of."

The pitcher himself was pretty pleased with his third straight impressive outing.

"We are all our toughest critics, and there's room for improvement, but I feel good about giving the team a solid chance to win," he said.

Archer gave up seven earned runs to lose his first two starts against the Mariners (20-13), both in 2013. In the past two seasons, however, he's yielded only an unearned run over 21 1/3 innings while going 1-0 in three against them. Archer struck out 23 in 15 of those frames in two outings last year.

Walker (2-2, 1.97) ranks among the major league leaders in ERA, but allowed three runs - one earned - before leaving after two innings of Friday's 6-3 loss at Houston with a sore neck. He said the issue was a result of sleeping the wrong way, and the next day deemed himself fit to start.

"I've had it before, I'm sure everyone has," Walker said. "I was really hoping it would loosen up once the game started. It did a little bit, but not enough."

Looking to avoid a third straight defeat, Walker has received zero runs of support while on the mound in his last two outings. His run support average of 2.53 is among the lowest in baseball, but his growth is something that continues to please manager Scott Servais.

"He's been outstanding," Servais said. "He's right where he needs to be. He's on track and he continues to make the next step."

Walker's teammates have totaled 11 runs in these first two games to set themselves up to sweep Tampa Bay (15-16) at home for the first time since 2006. Franklin Gutierrez's two-run homer highlighted a three-run first inning in Tuesday's 6-4 victory.

Rookie Dae-Ho Lee belted a three-run shot for the Mariners, who have averaged 4.6 runs and hit 13 homers to win seven of the last nine at home. They went deep three times while totaling seven runs in losing their first five at Safeco Field.

Robinson Cano is 21 of 44 while hitting safely in all 10 games this month, but is 0 for 13 against Archer.

With two homers Tuesday, Tampa Bay's Steve Pearce is 7 for 19 with four home runs and six RBIs in five May games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (18-17) at Giants (17-18)

Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 11, 2016 3:45 PM EDT

Madison Bumgarner finally reversed his fortune against some of the NL's best pitchers last week. This week, the San Francisco Giants ace gets a chance against a top arm from the AL.

Bumgarner draws another marquee matchup Wednesday against Marcus Stroman, who will try to lift the visiting Toronto Blue Jays to their ninth win in 11 games over the Giants.

Toronto (18-17) followed Monday's 3-1 series-opening victory with a 4-0 win Tuesday. Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in three runs and J.A. Happ fell one out short of his first complete game since August 2010 in the latest win.

Tulowitzki, who grew up in nearby Sunnyvale, California, has opened his 11th big league season slow, batting .178 with six home runs.

'He had a big night,' manager John Gibbons said. 'He's on familiar ground right now. It was only a matter of time. He's been taking heat and he's working hard. You know what? He's a damn good player.'

Now the Blue Jays will try to slow down a hot Bumgarner and win their fourth straight on the road.

Bumgarner (4-2, 2.93 ERA) has surrendered six earned runs over 27 innings in his last four starts, and has won his last three.

But the left-hander draws yet another tough matchup. He has already faced the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw twice, Arizona's Zack Greinke and the New York Mets' Noah Syndergaard, helping the Giants to just one win in those matchups.

That victory over Syndergaard came in the middle of his current three-game spurt. It was capped by Friday's 6-4 win over Colorado in which Bumgarner gave up seven hits and four runs - two earned - in 7 1/3 innings while walking one and striking out a season-high 10.

All four Rockies runs came in the second inning, but Bumgarner didn't allow a runner past first base the rest of his outing. He retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced, helping the Giants (17-18) regroup from a 17-7 loss to Colorado one night earlier.

'It's not exactly what I wanted but you have to throw that aside and just compete,' Bumgarner said. 'We had to win (Friday) after last night's embarrassing game. That was no fun.'

Toronto is one of six teams Bumgarner has never opposed. However, Tulowitzki faced him plenty in his time with Colorado, going 11 for 29 with two home runs and two doubles. Josh Donaldson has also homered in the matchup in six at-bats.

Stroman (4-0, 3.60) has surrendered just three runs and 11 hits in 15 innings over his last two starts. The right-hander has walked four and struck out 17 in that time - just two fewer than his first five starts combined.

Stroman's seven-inning effort in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers helped him drop his ERA to the lowest its been since his opening start. He held the Dodgers to two runs and eight hits while walking two and striking out eight.

Facing the NL hasn't been a problem for Stroman, who is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three career interleague starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (15-17) at Yankees (13-18)

Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: May 11, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

All of a sudden, the New York Yankees have remembered how to hit.

The Yankees appear to have put their deep early season struggles at the plate behind them, and they'll face a scuffling Kansas City Royals starter when they go for a third straight win Wednesday night.

New York (13-18) has scored six or more runs five times in the last nine games after reaching that mark four times in the first 22. It's won five of seven after pounding out a 10-7 victory over the Royals on Tuesday.

The Yankees hit double digits in runs for the second time this season and had 13 hits to overcome three home runs and a career high-tying five RBIs from Lorenzo Cain.

'We would have lost 7-0 a couple of weeks ago,' said outfielder Brett Gardner, who doubled home the tiebreaking run off Kelvin Herrera in a three-run eighth inning.

New York trailed 2-1, 3-2 and 6-5.

'This is the first time that we've battled back through a game a couple different times,' said catcher Brian McCann, who added a two-run double in the eighth. 'Guys had some quality at-bats and huge moments, and we really haven't done that all year.'

Aroldis Chapman made his second straight high-velocity appearance for the Yankees and recorded his first save of the season.

Now New York will take a crack at Yordano Ventura (2-2, 4.65 ERA), who's given up five runs in four innings in each of his last two starts, walking 11 in that span - with both games coming on the road. He went 2-0 with a 2.35 in first four starts - all Kansas City victories.

"Things just aren't coming out the way they should," Ventura told the team's official website about his release point after his last outing, a 7-1 loss to Cleveland on Friday. "There's nothing I can do but to get together with (pitching coach) Dave (Eiland) and get back to work."

The right-hander beat the Yankees 2-0 with six innings of three-hit ball in the Bronx on Sept. 7, 2014, in his only appearance against New York.

Kansas City desperately needs a strong start from Ventura. The Royals (15-17) have dropped three in a row and 11 of 14, with the rotation posting a 10.23 ERA in the past six games.

The club is 2-11 in its last 13 on the road.

'We're just not getting many breaks right now, but you make your own breaks,' manager Ned Yost said. 'Not anything good happening for us for the most part.'

After Masahiro Tanaka was roughed up Tuesday, Michael Pineda (1-3, 5.73 ERA) looks to get the Yankees' rotation back on track with another solid outing. The right-hander has given up two earned runs in four of his last five starts, though he's 0-3 in that span.

Pineda, who went six innings in a 3-2 win over Boston on Friday, pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball to beat the Royals 4-2 at home May 27, 2015. He's given up one earned run in 13 2/3 innings over two starts against Kansas City at Yankee Stadium.

Cain has raised his average 70 points in his last 12 games since it fell to .200 on April 25.

'I had a good night,' Cain said, 'but at the end of the day we lost.'

New York first baseman Mark Teixeira was out of the starting lineup because of neck spasms and his status for Wednesday is uncertain.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (15-17) at Nationals (20-13)

Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: May 11, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Although it's been strange for him to be back at Nationals Park, Detroit Tigers ace Jordan Zimmermann is extremely jacked up to face his old club.

Former teammate Max Scherzer remains focused on keeping opponents in the park.

In a matchup of All-Star right-handers, Zimmerman will try to help Detroit take two of three in this series against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.

Zimmermann (5-1, 1.10 ERA) went 70-50 with a 3.32 ERA over his first seven seasons with the Nationals. He had a career-high 19 victories in 2013 and tossed a no-hitter against Miami on Sept. 28, 2014 before pitching well that postseason.

Though he wanted to remain with the Nationals after 2015, Zimmermann couldn't agree to terms and opted to sign a five-year, $110 million deal with Detroit (15-17). It was the largest contract for a Tommy John surgery recipient before Washington (20-13) inked Stephen Strasburg to a seven-year, $175 million extension Monday.

The 27-year-old has lived up to the deal as he ranks among the major league leaders in victories and ERA. After winning his first five starts, he suffered a tough-luck loss to Texas on Friday when he allowed three runs over eight innings of a 5-1 defeat.

Zimmermann, 3-0 with an 0.47 ERA in three road starts, looks to continue that success in his return to Washington. He's also trying to help the Tigers win back-to-back games for the first time since a five-game run April 27-May 1.

Victor Martinez had four hits and Nick Castellanos homered for the second straight night Tuesday as the Tigers ended a seven-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory.

"Yeah, I can't wait," Zimmerman told the league's official website about going up against his old friend. "It's going to be fun and we'll see what happens. I'm pretty sure I'll be amped up and try to calm those emotions, go out there and pitch my game."

Scherzer (3-2, 4.60) teamed with Zimmermann and Justin Verlander to give the Tigers an impressive rotation from 2010-14 when he went 82-35 with a 3.52 ERA. On January 21, 2015, Scherzer signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals.

After posting a career-best 2.79 ERA and throwing two no-hitters last season, the 31-year-old has a career-worst 4.60 mark and nine home runs allowed. He gave up season highs of seven runs, seven hits and four homers in Friday's 8-6 road loss to the Chicago Cubs.

"Obviously, I'm catching a little too much plate, but at the same time, maybe I was a little too predictable in what I was doing," he said. "That's something for me to just chew on for the next four days and try to come back out here and compete and do what I do."

Washington's Jayson Werth is 2 for 5 with a home run against Zimmermann, while Daniel Murphy is hitting .328 with four homers and five doubles in the matchup.

Murphy has a major league-leading .398 average after picking up two more hits Tuesday, while Wilson Ramos is 14 for 29 with three doubles in his last eight games. Ryan Zimmerman hit two home runs after going 2 for 23 over his previous five.

MLB is still reviewing Bryce Harper's confrontation with an umpire in Monday's series-opening 5-4 victory to decide whether the Nationals star should be disciplined.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (14-19) at Marlins (17-15)

Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 11, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The worst pitching staff in baseball has often hung the Milwaukee Brewers' capable offense out to dry.

They'll try to subvert that trend for a second straight game in Wednesday night's series finale against the Miami Marlins.

Milwaukee's 5.48 ERA is the highest in the majors, and is perhaps the biggest reason why the Brewers (14-19) share the NL Central basement with Cincinnati. They have a shot at their second series win of the season Wednesday, though, after solid efforts by starter Zach Davies and relievers Blaine Boyer and Chris Capuano in Tuesday's 10-2 road victory.

It marked just the fourth time Milwaukee has allowed fewer than four runs, supporting a balanced offensive performance that saw five players secure multiple hits. Aaron Hill was 3 for 4 with two doubles while Ryan Braun was 2 for 4, drove in two runs and walked twice.

Chase Anderson (1-4, 6.44 ERA) has been among the many Brewers hurlers to struggle, though he started the season impressively. He didn't give up an earned run over 11 innings in his first two outings, but has dropped each start since while allowing eight home runs and 10 walks over 18 1-3 innings.

"I have to give the offense a chance, because I know these guys can score runs," he told MLB's official website after surrendering a season-high seven runs in Thursday's 9-5 loss at Cincinnati. "But when you put them behind the eight ball, like the last couple of times I've been out there, it's hard to score runs. The starting pitcher sets the tone. I have to do a better job of that, for sure."

One of those disappointments came opposite Miami starter Wei-Yin Chen (2-1, 4.66), a 7-5 loss at Miller Park on April 30 in which Anderson allowed homers to Derek Dietrich, Giancarlo Stanton and Adeiny Hechavarria. Marcell Ozuna, 2 for 5 on Tuesday, is 5 for 12 off Anderson.

Chen gave up three runs over 6 2-3 innings in last month's matchup, though he wasn't nearly as good his last time out. The left-hander yielded four runs and a season-high 11 hits over five innings without recording a decision in Friday's 6-4 win against Philadelphia.

"The only thing I can say is I really pitched terribly out there," he said through an interpreter. "My teammates played really well. They picked me up."

Chen gave up three homers in his only other matchup with Milwaukee on May 27, 2014, though none of the Brewers who took him deep in that game are still with the club.

Miami (17-15) lost for just the fourth time in 16 games, though Stanton continued his tear by homering for the eighth time in his last 15 contests.

On the opposite side, Braun is batting .419 during a 10-game hitting streak and is 3 for 6 against Chen. He's hitting .361 off left-handers on the season, though the Brewers are one of the league's worst clubs against lefties with a .238 average. Jonathan Lucroy, who went 0 for 6 on Tuesday, hits .152 against left-handers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (19-14) at Braves (7-24)

Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 11, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies have rebounded nicely from a rough start to their 10-game road trip.

Winning at home continues to be a problem for the lowly Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies can record a fourth straight victory by handing the Braves their 12th consecutive defeat at Turner Field on Wednesday night.

Philadelphia (19-14) totaled 12 runs while opening 1-4 on the trip but has since scored 13 over three straight one-run victories. With Tuesday's 3-2 win, the Phillies' last seven victories have been decided by a run.

'We'll take them any way we can,' said Adam Morgan, who allowed one run over seven innings. 'I don't think we really notice they're by one run, as long as we win.'

The Braves (7-24) have lost 16 of their first 17 at home, where they are closing in on a franchise-record 14-game slide set in May 1911. Atlanta can tie the 1913 New York Yankees (0-17-1) for the worst 18-game home start Wednesday.

"These guys are playing as hard as they can every day," said losing pitcher Matt Wisler, who completed eight innings. "It's going to come around here pretty soon.'

Atlanta has scored nine runs and collected four extra-base hits while losing its last five overall.

Morgan offered a welcome performance after the Phillies' previous five starters, including himself and Jerad Eickhoff (1-4, 4.21 ERA), combined for a 5.27 ERA.

Eickhoff had a 1.89 ERA in his first three starts, but owns a 6.75 mark in the last three. He's yielded three runs and six hits in each of the last two, going six-plus innings in a 4-0 loss at St. Louis on Thursday.

"I personally see it as, I need to pitch better," he told MLB's official website. "I've got to be stronger personally."

Of the right-hander's 14 career starts, one of his best came Sept. 19 at Atlanta when he allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings of a 2-1 defeat.

Freddie Freeman went 0 for 2 with a walk against Eickhoff in that contest, but he's batting .396 in 13 games after going deep for one of his two hits Tuesday. He's hit .397 with four homers and 16 RBIs in his last 15 against the Phillies.

Pitching at home for the second time in six starts this season, Jhoulys Chacin (1-2, 5.40) looks to bounce back after lasting 4 2/3 innings and giving up all but one of his eight runs on four homers in an 8-0 loss to the Mets last Wednesday. He also walked four.

'It was just leaving pitches in the middle and not too many things were working for me," said the right-hander, who did not yield a home run in his first four starts. "I'm just going to forget about (that) game and just work for my next start."

Chacin is 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA in five starts against the Phillies.

He's never faced Maikel Franco, who homered for one of his three hits Tuesday. On the road, Franco is batting .319 while recording six of his seven home runs and all but three of his 18 RBIs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (17-15) at Reds (14-19)

Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 11, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates are trying not to dig too deep a hole in the NL Central, but their continued mediocrity within the division isn't helping.

An unexpected team with one of the shovels is the Cincinnati Reds, who seek their third straight win over the visiting Pirates on Wednesday night.

After opening 8-3 within its own division, Pittsburgh (17-15) has lost six of eight. The 98-win Pirates went 34-42 against the Central last season, finishing two games behind St. Louis before falling to the Cubs in the wild-card game.

So far this season, Pittsburgh has had a tough time handling Cincinnati (14-19), falling to 3-4 with Monday's 3-2 loss before Tuesday's game was postponed. After finishing this set Wednesday, the Pirates play three at Wrigley Field this weekend to close a 14-game run against the Central that they're 4-6 on.

Juan Nicasio (3-3, 4.02 ERA) shut out the Reds over seven innings of a 4-1 win April 29 but lasted only 4 1/3 in last Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Chicago, walking three and allowing nine hits and four runs.

'They have a good-hitting team and when I got to two strikes and threw my breaking ball they wouldn't swing at it,' Nicasio said. 'Sometimes you don't have a good day.'

The right-hander hopes to return to the form he showed when he held the Reds to three hits while walking one and striking out eight, moving his scoreless-inning streak against them to 12.

However, his four appearances prior to that came in relief. As a starter against Cincinnati, Nicasio is 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in four meetings.

Brandon Phillips has gone 5 for 11 with a homer, triple and double when facing Nicasio, while Joey Votto is 2 for 11 and Zack Cozart 0 for 8.

Nicasio is searching for his first win away from home. He's dropped both starts on the road with a 6.75 ERA and is 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA at home.

Alfredo Simon (1-3, 9.86) only had an ERA of 4.00 in two April starts against Pittsburgh, far better than the 13.50 mark he had overall in that month. However, he got off to a good start in May on Thursday, holding Milwaukee to three runs in 7 2/3 innings of a 9-5 win.

"April was tough. When I came from the Dominican, my arm was not really in shape to throw a lot of pitches," Simon, who signed March 17 and missed one April start because of right biceps tendinitis, told MLB's official website. "But now I feel comfortable. I had the tendinitis and my arm is feeling a lot better right now."

Simon's effort extended Cincinnati's season-high streak of quality starts to five. After Tim Adleman, Brandon Finnegan and John Lamb failed to reach the sixth, Dan Straily started a new streak with six sharp innings Monday.

The bullpen's MLB-record streak of 23 straight games surrendering a run finally ended in a four-inning performance in Friday's 5-1 win over Milwaukee. After giving up 12 runs over the next two games, baseball's worst bullpen held the Pirates to one hit in three scoreless innings Monday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (14-20) at Red Sox (20-13)

Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 11, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Athletics have a day off before their next series following Wednesday night's series finale at Fenway Park, and the Boston Red Sox probably wouldn't mind if Oakland's pitching staff stuck around to serve up batting practice Thursday.

After putting up 27 runs in the first two games, Boston might not need nearly as much help to finish off the sweep with a rejuvenated Rick Porcello taking the mound.

The Red Sox (20-13) came into this series leading the AL with 5.03 runs per game, and that average has taken a turn for the better after a pair of double-digit scoring efforts. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a grand slam and drove in six in a 14-7 win in Monday's opener and Travis Shaw hit a three-run blast and knocked in five in an 13-5 victory Tuesday.

'Every at-bat everybody comes with something,' said Hanley Ramirez, who belted a 468-foot homer among his three hits and walked. 'It's the whole team. ...What we're doing right now, we gotta keep doing it.'

They'll next hand the ball to Porcello (5-1, 2.95 ERA), who has made five consecutive quality starts and has a 5.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio that's among the 10 best in baseball. Opponents are hitting just .207 off him after he limited the New York Yankees to six hits and three runs over seven innings in a 3-2 loss Friday. That's a mere 80 points lower than the .287 average last season that was 77th out of 78 qualified starters.

Batters are hitting .111 so far against both the right-hander's changeup and curveball and .190 against his slider. Last season, those three pitches produced averages of .292, .225 and .357, respectively.

Porcello is 3-3 with a 3.12 ERA in nine games - eight starts - against the A's (14-20) since 2010, though he's only struck out 23 in 52 innings.

The Red Sox have to be salivating at the prospect of facing Eric Surkamp (0-2, 5.59), who made it through the fifth inning once in four April starts before being sent to Triple-A Nashville.

The left-hander, who has faced Boston twice in relief in his career, will likely head back to the Sounds after pitching Wednesday. Oakland needed an extra starter after playing a split doubleheader in Baltimore on Saturday.

The Red Sox have now won six straight against the A's and Ramirez is a big reason why. He's hit safely in each win, going 12 for 23 with two homers, six RBIs and nine runs scored.

"He's been pretty hot all year," Shaw told MLB's official website. "He's hitting over .300. Another bat in the middle of the order, another guy who can take it out of the ballpark at any single time, and on any single pitch."

The A's have hit .304 in their last six games but have just one win in that stretch and now have lost eight of nine.

Josh Reddick can't be blamed. He's 15 for 24 over the past six contests and is the only Athletic consistently producing, a title that extends to recent games against his former team. He's 13 for 30 with five walks in his last eight games against Boston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (17-16) at Angels (13-19)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 11, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

In a matchup of struggling lineups, the St. Louis Cardinals woke up while the Los Angeles Angels remained in hibernation mode.

Jaime Garcia looks to continue one of those trends Wednesday night when the left-hander tries to lift the visiting Cardinals to their sixth win in the last nine games of this series.

St. Louis (17-16) opened the season hot offensively but was up and down before Tuesday's 8-1 win. The Cardinals averaged only 3.67 runs their previous six games but Matt Carpenter homered twice and Matt Holliday and Randal Grichuk also went deep.

St. Louis improved to 8-6 on the road while opening a six-game trip in Los Angeles. The Cardinals visit the Dodgers for three games this weekend.

Garcia (2-2, 3.05 ERA) tossed another gem in Thursday's 4-0 win over Philadelphia, holding the Phillies to two singles over seven innings. It was the second time this season he has held a team scoreless on two or fewer hits over at least seven innings.

"I think it felt similar to what I've been doing," Garcia told MLB's official website. "Just (Thursday), I was able to get good plays made behind me, and I was able to get calls and make pitches when I needed to make pitches. I just have to continue to build on that."

Garcia hasn't faced the Angels, and Geovany Soto is the only hitter with double-digit at-bats against him. Soto is 3 for 10 with an RBI and two walks in the matchup.

Los Angeles (13-19) has dropped a season-high four straight and is 2-8 in its last 10. The Angels have scored six runs during their skid and averaged 3.5 in their last 10 games.

While scoring runs has been a major issue, Los Angeles might be more concerned with the health issues in its rotation.

Four Angels starters have landed on the disabled list, giving Matt Shoemaker another shot to take the ball. The right-hander struggled in April but has been called up from Triple-A Salt Lake, for which he threw six innings of one-run ball Friday.

Shoemaker was demoted after posting a 9.15 ERA in five April starts.

The Angels learned Monday that shortstop Andrelton Simmons would need surgery on his left thumb and will likely miss two months. The next day they made a trade with Washington to acquire Brendan Ryan, who was playing with the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate and is a Los Angeles native.

Ryan, a .234 lifetime hitter with St. Louis, Seattle and New York, made his Angels debut in the ninth inning Tuesday.

"Humbling," Ryan told MLB's official website. "I don't know. I'm certainly thinking about how lucky and blessed I am at the moment to not only be back in the big leagues, but to be home. I just feel very blessed."

Ryan is set to split time at shortstop with Cliff Pennington, who is hitting .182.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (20-12) at Dodgers (17-16)

Game: 3
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: May 11, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

While rookie Kenta Maeda is adjusting to a new country and league, flame-thrower Noah Syndergaard is still trying to get used to holding runners on base.

Maeda has been close to dominant for the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Syndergaard possesses a repertoire that can be one of the toughest to hit in the major leagues.

That should make scoring at a premium again as the Dodgers go after their fourth victory in five games Wednesday night against the visiting New York Mets.

After a sensational eight-year run in Japan, Maeda (3-1, 1.66 ERA) signed an eight-year deal with the Dodgers in January. He's quickly became one of the biggest stories of the first month while going 3-0 with an 0.36 ERA in his first four big league outings.

The right-hander finally looked slightly vulnerable when he allowed four runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 5-3 home loss to Miami on April 28. However, he bounced back Friday by limiting Toronto to two runs and two hits over six innings in a 5-2 road defeat.

"He competes," manager Dave Roberts told the league's official website about Maeda, who ranks among the major league leaders in ERA. "The catchers say he's fun to catch."

Maeda hopes to keep using his assortment of breaking pitches, including a devastating late-breaking slider, as the Dodgers (17-16) chase their first back-to-back home wins since a three-game run from April 13-15. They won for only the second time in their last nine there Tuesday when Trayce Thompson hit a walk-off home run in a 3-2 victory.

Syndergaard (2-2, 2.58) also has been untouchable at times behind a fastball that reaches triple digits and a slider that has been clocked at 95 mph. However, he's trying to avoid losing three straight starts for the first time in 31 games with the Mets (20-12).

The right-hander allowed two runs over six innings Friday, but did not receive any run support for the second straight outing in a 2-0 loss at San Diego. The Padres also stole two bases in three attempts, leaving opponents 29 for 32 in his two seasons.

That might not be as big of a concern versus a Los Angeles team that ranks near the bottom of the majors with nine steals on the season. The Dodgers, though, did swipe a pair of bases off Syndergaard in a 5-2 win in Game 2 of last year's NL division series.

"I'd like to go out there and have a goal to put up zeroes," Syndergaard said after facing the Padres. "Unfortunately, it's not always like that. So tomorrow's a new day. I'll work on some things and get ready to throw the ball in another five days."

The 23-year-old has gone 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three career games at Dodger Stadium, including two playoff appearances. Justin Turner has two doubles in six at-bats against Syndergaard and Adrian Gonzalez's only hit in six at-bats was a homer.

Carl Crawford, Yasmani Grandal, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig and Corey Seager have gone a combined 0 for 17 with seven strikeouts in their matchups.

Seager had two doubles and an RBI Tuesday, leaving him 6 for 14 in his last four games. Gonzalez also had two hits after going 0 for 30 over his previous 10 at home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, May 11, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Pretty shocking news out of Washington, D.C. on Monday night when it was revealed the Nationals and pitcher Stephen Strasburg agreed to a seven-year, $175 million extension with an opt-out clause after three or four years (also some deferred money and potential bonuses). I say this is shocking because Strasburg's agent is Scott Boras and he ALWAYS takes his guys to the market. Strasburg's camp had said they weren't negotiating during this season. I thought Strasburg might set the record for total dollars for a pitcher this winter because it's an incredibly weak free-agent market overall. I know he would have gotten offers higher than $175 million. Obviously the one worry with Strasburg has been injuries, but he has been lights out since returning from a DL stint last summer. That he has signed could push pitching-needy teams to be more aggressive in trades before the July 31 deadline with so little to choose from in free agency this winter.


White Sox at Rangers (-138, 9)

A 2:05 p.m. ET getaway game. I think the league is starting to figure out White Sox pitcher Mat Latos (5-0, 2.62). He allowed just two runs combined over his first four starts. But his past two, he has given up eight runs and 18 hits over 10 innings along with three homers. Latos beat Texas on April 24, giving up a run and seven hits over six innings. Ian Desmond is a .304 hitter against him in 23 at-bats. Rougned Odor is 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Texas ace lefty Cole Hamels (4-0, 2.68) comes off his best start of the year, shutting out the Tigers on one hit over seven innings with a season-best nine strikeouts. He didn't pitch in the first series with the Pale Hose. Melky Cabrera hits .353 off him in 17 at-bats with a homer. Todd Frazier is 4-for-16 with four RBIs and five strikeouts.

Key trends: The White Sox are 5-2 in their past seven vs. a lefty. Texas is 9-1 in Hamels' past 10 at home. The "over/under" is 10-4-1 in Hamels' past 15 overall.

Early lean: Rangers and under.

Blue Jays at Giants (-131, 7)

Toronto loses the DH in this interleague 3:45 p.m. ET matinee. The Jays' usual DH is Edwin Encarnacion, but I'd imagine they want to keep his big bat in the lineup and will play him at first base and bench Justin Smoak. Fine pitching matchup. Toronto's Marcus Stroman (4-0, 3.60) held the Dodgers to two runs over seven innings with eight strikeouts in his last outing but got a no-decision. He hasn't lost a game since September 2014, but that's a bit misleading as he only made four regular-season starts in 2015. Stroman has never faced the Giants. Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner (4-2, 3.14) won his third straight start Friday, striking out a season-high 10 against Colorado. He hasn't allowed a homer in that three-start winning streak. This is his first 2016 start vs. an AL team. Only a few Jays have faced him. Troy Tulowitzki has the most, batting .379 with two homers and five RBIs in 29 at-bats. Josh Donaldson is 1-for-6 with a homer.

Key trends: The Jays are 6-0 in Stroman's past six on the road. The Giants are 5-2 in Bumgarner's past seven interleague starts. The under is 4-0-1 in his past five interleague outings.

Early lean: Blue Jays and under.

Royals at Yankees (-131, 7.5)

ESPN game so should have live betting at sportsbooks. Yordano Ventura (2-2, 4.65) get the call for the Royals. He began the season with four straight good starts but has been hit around in losing his past two, allowing 10 runs and walking 11 over eight innings. Control has always been an issue with him and he leads the AL with 25 walks. Ventura didn't face the Yankees in 2015. Aaron Hicks is 2-for-8 with a homer off him. Mark Teixeira is 1-for-3 with a strikeout. New York's Michael Pineda (1-3, 5.73) comes off a quality start against Boston, allowing two runs and eight hits over six innings. New York had lost his previous four outings. He was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts last year vs. Kansas City. Eric Hosmer is 3-for-12 off him with a home run. Alex Gordon is 3-for-18 with two doubles and five strikeouts.

Key trends: The Royals are 7-3 in Ventura's past 10 road starts vs. teams with a losing record. The Yankees are 0-6 in their past six in Game 3 of a series. The over is 5-2-2 in Ventura's past nine vs. the AL East. The over is 5-2-1 in Pineda's past eight.

Early lean: Royals and over.

Tigers at Nationals (-160, 7)

Great pitching matchup here between guys who used to be on the opposing team. It's Jordan Zimmermann (5-1) for the Tigers, the AL ERA leader. Of course he spent 2009-15 with Washington, leaving as a free agent this past winter. Zimmermann allowed a season-high three runs over eight innings in losing his first game of the year Friday vs. Texas. Not many Nationals have faced him as you would expect. Former Met Daniel Murphy has the most by far, going 20-for-61 with five doubles and four home runs. For the Nats, it's Max Scherzer (3-2, 4.60), who spent 2010-14 with the Tigers and won the 2013 Cy Young Award there. Scherzer's ERA rose nearly a run in his last start as he was clocked for seven runs and seven hits (four homers) over five innings Friday in a loss at the Cubs. J.D. Martinez is 1-for-3 off him with a homer. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 6-for-15 with a dinger. Keep in mind that the Tigers lose the DH here.

Key trends: The Tigers are 2-5 in their past seven in Game 3 of a series. The under is 8-1-2 in Scherzer's past 11 during Game 3 of a series.

Early lean: Nationals and under.

Mets at Dodgers (-106, 6.5)

If a Mets pitcher hasn't plunked the Dodgers' Chase Utley by Wednesday, I'd be shocked if Noah Syndergaard doesn't take care of business here as "Thor" isn't exactly a bashful guy in terms of such things. Remember, Utley broke the leg of Mets infielder Ruben Tejada during last year's NLDS on a hard slide into second base. Utley initially was suspended for his takeout slide but appealed, and the punishment was waived in February. The Mets were pretty ticked off. Maybe the only thing that prevents it from happening is that Tejada is no longer with the Mets. Utley's slide motivated MLB to change the rule on slides into second base. Syndergaard (2-2, 2.58) has lost back-to-back starts. He lost Game 2 of the NLDS in L.A. as well, allowing three runs in 6.1 innings. Adrian Gonzalez is 1-for-3 with a homer off him. Utley is 0-for-3. The Dodgers' Kenta Maeda (3-1, 1.66) has come back to earth a bit. He allowed two runs on two hits over six innings in his last start, in Toronto. Maeda has never faced the Mets.

Key trends: The Mets are 5-2 in Syndergaard's past seven on the road. The over is 4-1-1 in his past six on four days of rest.

Early lean: Mets and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Chicago White Sox at Texas Rangers May 11, 2:05 EST

Two undefeated hurlers match up in the finale of a three game series at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mat Latos of the White Sox carries a 5-0 record 2.62 ERA in six starts including a 6 inning 1 run victory vs Texas in April. Lefty Hamels heads to the hill 4-0 with a 2.68 ERA in his six trips to the mound and is now 11-2 since joining Texas last August with Rangers 16-4 in his twenty starts.

Hamels off his best start of the season tossing seven shoutout innings of one-hit ball, Latos off a pair of shaky starts giving up 3 long-ball, 8 runs over 10.0 innings the lean is Texas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Wednesday's games

National League games

Phillies @ Braves
Eickhoff is 0-3, 5.55 in his last four starts (over 3-3).

Chacin is 1-2, 8.22 in his last three starts; three of his last four starts went over.

Phillies are 10-4 in last 14 games; under is 9-4-1 in their last 14 games. Atlanta lost its last five games; they're 1-16 at home; over is 8-5-1 in their last 14 home games.

Brewers @ Marlins
Anderson is 0-4, 11.78 in his last four starts (over 5-0-1). .

Chen is 2-0, 4.42 in his last three starts (over 4-2).

Milwaukee won three of last four games; over is 9-2-3 in their last 14 overall. Marlins lost three of last four games; over is 7-4-1 in their last 12 games

Pirates @ Reds
Liriano is 2-0, 3.20 in his last three starts (over 3-1 in his road starts). Nicasio is 0-2, 6.75 in two road starts (over 3-3).

Adleman is 1-0, 2.45 in his first two MLB starts (over 1-1). Simon is 1-3, 11.66 in his last four starts (over 3-1-1).

Pittsburgh won six of last eight road games; over is 11-4 in their last 15 road games. Reds are 6-12 in last 18 games; over is 9-3-1 in their last 13 home games.

Padres @ Cubs
Pomeranz is 2-2, 2.35 in his last four starts (over 3-3). Rea is 2-0, 1.93 in his last two starts; three of his last four starts went over.

Lackey is 3-1, 3.48 in his last five starts (over 5-1). Hendricks is 2-0, 0.82 in his last two starts (under 4-1).

San Diego lost eight of last ten road games; under is 9-3 in their last 12 road games. Cubs won eight games in a row; over is 8-1 in their last nine games.

Diamondbacks @ Rockies
Ray is 0-2, 8.76 in his last three starts (under 5-1); Arizona got shut out in his last couple starts.

Bettis is 1-2, 5.47 in his last four starts; four of his last six starts stayed under.

Arizona won its last five games; under is 8-3-1 in their last 12. Rockies lost last seven home games; seven of their last ten home games stayed under.

Mets @ Dodgers
Syndergaard is 0-2, 4.42 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Maeda is 3-1, 1.66 in his first six MLB starts (under 4-1-1).

New York won nine of last 13 road games; four of last five road games went under total. Dodgers lost seven of last nine at home; under is 11-3-1 in LA home tilts.


American League games

Royals @ Bronx
Ventura is 0-2, 11.25 in his last six starts (under 4-2).

Pineda is 0-3, 5.14 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under.

New York won six of last eight home games; eight of its last 12 games stayed under the total. Royals lost 11 of their last 13 road games; under is 10-6-1 in their last 17 road games.

A's @ Red Sox
Surkamp is back from AAA; he is 0-2, 5.59 in four MLB starts this year (under 4-0).

Porcello is 5-1, 2.95 in six starts this year; four of his last five stayed under.

Oakland lost 13 of its last 17 games; over is 10-3 in their last 13 road games. Boston won 14 of its last 18 games; six of its last nine home games went over.

White Sox @ Rangers
Latos is 5-0, 2.62 in six starts this year (under 4-2).

Hamels is 1-0, 2.67 in his last four starts (under 4-2).

Texas won nine of last 12 home games; over is 11-3-1 in their last 15 home games. Chicago won 15 of last 21 games; eight of their last nine road games went over.

Indians @ Astros
Salazar is 3-2, 1.91 in six starts this year (under 5-1).

Fister is 2-0, 2.77 in his last two starts; three of his last flur stayed under.

Cleveland won six of its last eight games; under is 4-0-1 in its last five road games. Houston won five of its last eight games; under is 3-0-1 in its last four.

Orioles @ Twins
Wilson is 1-1, 4.60 in three starts this year (over 2-1).

Hughes is 0-3, 7.71 in his last three starts (under 3-2-1)

Baltimore is 8-4 in its last 12 games; six of its last seven road games stayed under the total. Minnesota lost ten of last 11 games; over is 8-3-1 in its last 12 games.

Rays @ Mariners
Archer is 2-0, 0.96 in his last three stats, all of which stayed under.

Walker is 0-2, 7.71 in his last two starts; five of his six starts stayed under.

Mariners won 15 of their last 20 games; under is 5-3-1 in their last nine home games. Tampa Bay won four of last six games; under is 9-3-1 in its last 13 games


Interleague

Tigers @ Nationals
Zimmerman is 5-1, 1.54 in six starts this year; three of his last four stayed under. .

Scherzer is 1-2, 5.87 in his last four starts (over 4-1-2).

Detroit lost seven of last eight games; over is 13-4 in its last 17 games. Nationals lost five of last six games; seven of their last eight games went over the total.

Cardinals @ Angels
Garcia is 2-2, 2.78 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1).

Shoemaker is 0-3, 12.71 in his last three starts (over 2-2-1); he gets called back from AAA with Richards out for the year.

St Louis is 5-3 in its last eight games; six of its last seven road games went over total. Angels lost eight of last ten games; under is 9-3 in their last 12 home games.

Blue Jays @ Giants
Stroman is 3-0, 2.95 in his last five starts (under 4-1)

Bumgarner is 3-0, 2.70 in his last three starts (over 5-2).

Toronto won six of last eight games; their last 14 road games stayed under the total. Giants lost their last three games, scoring just one run; their last four games stayed under the total.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Phil-Atl-- Eickhoff 2-4; Chacin 2-3
Mil-Mia-- Anderson 2-4; Chen 3-3
Pitt-Cin-- Nicasio 3-3 Liriano 5-1; Simon 1-4 Adleman 1-1
SD-Chi-- Pomeranz 3-3; Rea 4-2; Lackey 4-2 Hendricks 3-2
Az-Colo-- Ray 2-4; Bettis 3-4
NY-LA-- Syndergaard 3-3; Maeda 6-1

KC-NY-- Ventura 4-2; Pineda 2-4
A's-Bos-- Surkamp 2-2; Porcello 5-1
Chi-Tex-- Latos 6-0; Hamels 5-1
Cle-Hst-- Salazar 3-3; Fister 3-3
Balt-Min-- Wilson 2-3; Hughes 1-5
TB-Sea-- Archer 3-4; Walker 3-3

Det-Wsh-- Zimmerman 5-1; Scherzer 4-3
StL-LAA-- Garcia 3-3; Shoemaker 1-4
Tor-SF-- Stroman 5-2; Bumgarner 4-3


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Phil-Atl-- Eickhoff 2-6; Chacin 2-5
Mil-Mia-- Anderson 3-6; Chen 3-6
Pitt-Cin-- Nicasio 1-6 Liriano 2-6; Simon 3-5 Adleman 1-2
SD-Chi-- Pomeranz 0-6; Rea 3-6; Lackey 3-3 Hendricks 1-5
Az-Colo-- Ray 0-6; Bettis 2-7
NY-LA-- Syndergaard 1-6; Maeda 1-7

KC-NY-- Ventura 3-6; Pineda 3-6
A's-Bos-- Surkamp 1-4; Porcello 2-6
Chi-Tex-- Latos 2-6; Hamels 2-6
Cle-Hst-- Salazar 0-6; Fister 1-6
Balt-Min-- Wilson 1-5; Hughes 4-6
TB-Sea-- Archer 2-7; Walker 1-6

Det-Wsh-- Zimmerman 0-6; Scherzer 4-7
StL-LAA-- Garcia 1-6; Shoemaker 3-5
Tor-SF-- Stroman 1-7; Bumgarner 2-5


Umpires

Phil-Atl-- Four of last five Fagan games went over total.
Mil-Mia-- Underdogs are 12-9 in last 21 Blakney games.
Pitt-Cin-- Three of four Kellogg games went over the total.
SD-Chi-- Home side won five of last seven Basner games.
Az-Col-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven BWelke games.
NY-LA-- Under is 8-0-1 in last nine Ripperger games.

Balt-Minn-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Woodring games.
KC-NY-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Barber games.
A's-Bos-- Favorites won last five Marquez games.
Chi-Tex-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight May games.
Cle-Hst-- Over is 11-3 in last fourteen Scott games.
TB-Sea-- Under is 8-4-1 in last 13 Wendeltstedt games.

Det-Wsh-- Three of last four Miller games went over.
StL-LAA-- Six of last eight Blaser games stayed under.
Tor-SF-- Nine of last ten Randazzo games stayed under.